


Stay Another Night

by BlackMyst



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 07:59:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12104247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMyst/pseuds/BlackMyst
Summary: Richie didn't like staying home at night so instead took to the streets of Derry.





	Stay Another Night

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the 2017 film adaptation and the fact that Richie's mom is an alcoholic.

Richie didn't like staying home at night due to his parents' lack of caring. He felt much better walking the streets of Derry, alone with his thoughts, than staying home with a mom who only cared about where she could get her next buzz. So at age thirteen Richie began his late night wanderings, usually with a cigarette between his lips. Most nights he would stay out until the sky began to lighten with the first hints of morning.

One night Richie found himself in Bev's neighborhood and unconsciously made his way to her house. He wasn't sure why he had started towards her place. He had glanced at his watch while passing under a streetlight and saw that it was just after 2am so he figured there was no way she would be out. Just as he was making his way past her building he caught a glimpse of red. He looked over and saw her leaning against the wall with her eyes closed and a lit cigarette hanging between her fingers. His face broke into a grin and he turned towards her.

"Now dontcha know what time it is lassie?" He said to her with a smile. She jumped and her eyes snapped open and met his. She let out a relieved sigh and relaxed against the wall again.

"Richie Tozier! Don't sneak up on me like that!!" She scolded in an angry voice that didn't match the smile on her face. She took a drag from her cigarette and then offered it to Richie. He took it gladly and leaned on the wall next to her.

"So what are you doing out this late? And so far from home?" Bev asked as Richie took a drag. She waved him off when he tried to give it back to her. He took another drag before answering her.

"Oh just making my rounds of civil servitude you know. Making sure no pretty redheads are left to smoke all alone." He tipped a wink at her earning a small chuckle. "No really its just me not wanting to be home with the 'rents you know?" Bev nodded in understanding because she understood all too well the need to get away from home.

"How often do you do this? Just walk around town at night?" Bev asked quietly. Richie looked at her for a moment and saw a brief flash of sadness before she looked away from him. He knew why she was sad because he was sad too. It had been around two years since their showdown with It and though they couldn't remember many details of what had happened in the tunnels beneath their town they could still remember how close the seven of them were. That was until Ben moved away about six months after the events of that nightmarish summer. After Ben it was Stan's turn to leave and though they were all sad to see them leave it was nothing compared to when Bill had moved just a month ago. So Richie understood why Bev was sad. All three of the Losers that had moved had also promised to write and Richie thought Ben may have written to Bev once or twice but besides that there hadn't been any contact with the others. Bev cleared her throat, shaking Richie out of his daze. She raised her eyebrows at him and he remembered her question.

"Oh! Sorry miss I just got so caught up in your beauty I done forgot myself a moment!" He dropped to his knees in front of her. "Please don't be angry miss! I-"

"Beep beep Richie!" She said cutting him off and grabbing his arm to pull him up. "Just answer the question." Richie stood up and brushed the dirt off the knees of his pants.

"Well I guess I do this pretty much every night" He said with a shrug then continued, "Its easy to sneak out when your parents don't care enough to notice you" He said it dismissively but Bev knew Richie well enough to know he was really hurting inside. She moved to put an arm around him and she had a sudden urge to smack his mom across the face and scream at her to put down the bottle and care for her son. They stood like that for a few minutes, Bev's arm around Richie and him looking down at the dirt. Bev gave him one last squeeze.

"well I suppose I should get inside. Hey how about I meet you at the park tomorrow night? We can walk around together for a while" She smiled at Richie and he couldn't help but smile back at her. He knew if she got caught she would be in a world of hurt but the fact that she didn't mind risking it for him made his heart swell with friendship.

From then on Bev tried to join Richie on his nighttime walks as often as she could. They would walk around sharing cigarettes and talking about their favorite bands. Some nights they would stay at the park and swing together, seeing who could go the highest. Other nights they would lay in the grass looking up at the stars and talking abut everything. Richie found himself opening up to Bev in ways he had never opened up to anyone before, not even to Bill or Eddie.

A couple months after Bev had joined his late night wanderings, Richie decided to tell Bev his biggest secret. They were at the park in their usual spot; laying in the grass passing a cigarette back and forth when Richie turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow.

"Hey Bev can I tell you something?" He asked tentatively. Bev sat up and turned towards him.

"Of course Richie, you can tell me anything. You know that." She noticed he was fidgeting with the grass and not meeting her eyes. She reached out and put her hand on his until he looked up at her.

"Bevvie...I....I'm in love with someone.." His cheeks flamed red and he looked down again. He didn't say anything for a few moments and even though Bev thought she knew who he was talking about she stayed quiet, letting him say it when he was ready.

"I guess I've known for a while... probably since that summer we were all together.. I don't remember exactly when it happened and I guess for a while now I've been in denial about it.. I tried to tell myself we were just friends but lately.. whenever I'm around him I cant help but feel like its right. But Eddie is one of my best friends... how can I be in love with him?" He trailed off still looking down and waited for Bev to say something. Bev put a hand on Richie's shoulder and when he looked at her she was shocked to see tears shining behind his glasses.

"Oh Richie don't cry," she pulled him into a hug and he sobbed into her shoulder "Honestly Richie I kinda guessed a while ago that you might like Eddie...and you should know there's nothing wrong with being in love with your best friend." She stroked his hair and held him while he cried. After he calmed down a bit he lit another cigarette and took a long drag of it.

"So what do you recommend doc?" Richie asked, staring up at the stars.

"Well I think you should talk to Eddie," She saw the fear in his eyes and continued quickly "Richie you need to see where he is in this. You need to see if he feels the same way." Richie knew she was right but in that moment he felt he would rather go head to head with that creature in the sewers than have to confess his feelings to Eddie.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this isn't the best but I have loved this book and the characters for so many years and I really wanted to try my hand at some writing. I don't know how long this is going to be but I'm thinking maybe 3 chapters? I guess we will see!!


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